Surrey city council has directed city staff, as Mayor Brenda Locke put it, to make 含羞草研究社渁 180含羞草研究社� degree turn on the policing transition to the Surrey Police Service from the Surrey RCMP.

Councillors Mandeep Nagra, Doug Elford and Linda Annis voted against endorsing a framework for maintaining the RCMP as Surrey含羞草研究社檚 police of jurisdiction and have staff present a final plan to this end, to be voted on by council at its Dec. 12 council meeting. It was passed on a 6-3 vote, with Mayor Brenda Locke, Rob Stutt, Pardeep Kooner, Gordon Hepner, Harry Bains and Mike Bose voting in favour.

Nagra raised Surrey Connect含羞草研究社檚 election claim that retaining the Surrey RCMP instead of incoming Surrey Police Service would save residents $520 million over the next four years. 含羞草研究社淲hen do we get to see that number that it含羞草研究社檚 going to cost $520 million?含羞草研究社� he asked.

Surrey含羞草研究社檚 manager of finance Kam Grewal replied that staff are working 含羞草研究社渧ery, very hard含羞草研究社� on a financial analysis that will be 含羞草研究社渇orthcoming含羞草研究社� on Dec. 12. 含羞草研究社淚n relation to the direction question by councillor Nagra, I cannot speak to that, I haven含羞草研究社檛 seen those numbers but I can tell you it含羞草研究社檚 a priority of staff to include the financial analysis and implications all on Dec. 12.含羞草研究社�

Surrey含羞草研究社檚 top Mountie Brian Edwards presented before city council Monday night a 含羞草研究社渇ramework for maintaining the RCMP as Police of Jurisdiction in Surrey.含羞草研究社�

Edwards told council he has 573 operational members under his command, with others recovering from injuries. 含羞草研究社淚 need 161 officers to right-size. I can do that by the end of 2023. The RCMP has been on-budget year after year after year.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淢y path forward is remarkably simple,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 need a staffing plan for 161 people.含羞草研究社�

He said the 含羞草研究社渦ncertainty of policing is no longer tenable.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚f I含羞草研究社檓 given the green light, I含羞草研究社檒l immediately implement steps to staff up to 161.含羞草研究社�

Claims the Surrey RCMP is not locally accountable are 含羞草研究社渦nfounded含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社渓aughable,含羞草研究社� he told council. He welcomed Surrey Police Service officers to join the Surrey RCMP.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e locally accountable, there含羞草研究社檚 no other way to say it.含羞草研究社�

Seeking to 含羞草研究社渄ispel a myth,含羞草研究社� he said, current SPS officers who join the RCMP can spend their entire career working in Surrey, with the RCMP.

含羞草研究社淚 welcome them to the RCMP,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 not a better entry point to the RCMP for a municipal officer than Surrey.含羞草研究社�

Edwards received lengthy applause from the audience in council chambers. Locke asked for order.

Elford asked him what he plans to do about SPS officers vowing en-masse to not join the RCMP, to which Edwards replied 含羞草研究社淎re you referring to the pledge that was made that 94 per cent of SPS won含羞草研究社檛 join the RCMP? I含羞草研究社檓 not going to respond to union business, but I left Calgary Police and I will say this, that employment law supports me: The decision of an employer is one that is made by an individual, not a group. And I含羞草研究社檒l leave my answer at that.含羞草研究社�

Edwards told council he wanted to clarify a few things. 含羞草研究社淚 have respected process and authority through this entire transition whether that decision was to replace the RCMP or to maintain the RCMP. I have always been extremely measured in my comments,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭his has been difficult at times. Often, I was bursting to set the record straight or to advocate to maintain the RCMP. But my job is to lead policing for this city 含羞草研究社� it is the job of others to decide who polices the city. Unfortunately, others have not been as constrained in public commentary. Spokespersons have criticized ongoing RCMP programs, said that other programs will be better. Programs that don含羞草研究社檛 exist.含羞草研究社�

Edwards said 含羞草研究社渕ultiple inaccurate comments含羞草研究社� have been made. 含羞草研究社淭he list goes on and on. The intent seems clear 含羞草研究社� to create concern and fear.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭hese comments seek to establish that the RCMP cannot effectively police Surrey. I含羞草研究社檒l show you tonight we have, we do, and we will.含羞草研究社� He said he will 含羞草研究社渘ever criticize含羞草研究社� municipal policing or municipal police officers in this country. 含羞草研究社淣ever. I was one. They provide vital public safety to our communities. But I will not allow others to criticize the RCMP model or RCMP officers.含羞草研究社�

Edwards said his team spends a 含羞草研究社渃onsiderable含羞草研究社� amount of time mitigating disruption to policing, 含羞草研究社渁nd we have for four years, especially in the last two.含羞草研究社� There are 含羞草研究社渟tructural deficiencies含羞草研究社� in the path moving forward with the current transition to the SPS, he said.

含羞草研究社淢ake no bones about it.含羞草研究社�

Coun. Doug Elford said he含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渄isappointed含羞草研究社� a representative of the SPS was not in attendance to provide 含羞草研究社渂alance.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚 think this is a waste of time and money,含羞草研究社� Elford said, adding that Surrey transitioning to its own city police force is the 含羞草研究社渙pportunity of a lifetime.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淎ll of North America is watching,含羞草研究社� he said.

On Tuesday, the Surrey Police Union issued a press release accusing Edwards of withholding 含羞草研究社渁larming public safety risks to residents.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淎fter watching OIC Brian Edwards含羞草研究社� comments last night, I am very concerned by the deliberate omission of the actual policing scenarios taking place on the ground as a result of RCMP staffing shortages,含羞草研究社� union president Rick Stewart stated in the press release. 含羞草研究社淲hen there is a regular occurrence of only 1-3 officers patrolling the entirety of South Surrey and Cloverdale at night, it is clear that the daily threats to public safety in Surrey are not being taken seriously by RCMP leadership.含羞草研究社�

The Now-Leader has reached out to Edwards for a response.

Council debated a corporate report asking the politicians to endorse a proposed framework containing Surrey含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社減riorities, goals and objectives for policing in 2023含羞草研究社� and direct staff to present a 含羞草研究社渇inal plan含羞草研究社� for maintaining the Surrey RCMP as the city含羞草研究社檚 police force for council含羞草研究社檚 endorsement at its Dec. 12 council meeting.

含羞草研究社淭his report provides a framework for the City to maintain the RCMP as the Police of Jurisdiction in Surrey,含羞草研究社� the corporate report states. 含羞草研究社淭his framework will guide the development of the final plan to maintain the RCMP as the Police of Jurisdiction in Surrey which will be presented to Council for endorsement on December 12, 2022, should Council endorse the recommendations of this report.

Monday含羞草研究社檚 corporate report 含羞草研究社� by Surrey含羞草研究社檚 manager of community services Terry Waterhouse, Kam Grewal, and manager of corporate services Rob Costanzo 含羞草研究社� states that a 含羞草研究社減roject team含羞草研究社� will oversee development of the final plan which, if approved by council on Dec. 12, will be submitted to Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth for consideration by Dec. 15.

At council含羞草研究社檚 last meeting on Nov. 14 Mayor Brenda Locke含羞草研究社檚 Surrey Connect majority on a 5-4 vote directed city staff to prepare a plan toward that end.

The project team is comprised of Edwards, Waterhouse, consultants Tonia Enger and Dr. Peter German 含羞草研究社� who has held high positions including the RCMP含羞草研究社檚 national director general of financial crime and president of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform 含羞草研究社� with senior members of the RCMP and city staff providing 含羞草研究社渟trategic and administrative support.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭he Plan, if endorsed, will provide a comprehensive update on the status of the transition to date and highlights the significant amount of work still required,含羞草研究社� the report coming before council on Monday states. It also notes the contractual requirement for the RCMP to continue to be the city含羞草研究社檚 police of jurisdiction is 含羞草研究社渁lready in place.含羞草研究社�

Since council defeated her Nov. 14 motion for a referendum, Coun. Linda Annis said, the city must produce a report that含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渁s fair, transparent, unbiased and factual as possible.

含羞草研究社淲hile I have every confidence in Mr. German and Ms. Enger, a third member of the team, someone not associated with the RCMP, should also help put the report together in order to give Surrey residents and the province the confidence that Surrey has been both fair and accurate in what we find and what含羞草研究社檚 being proposed going forward,含羞草研究社� Annis said. 含羞草研究社淲e never got that sort of transparency with Doug McCallum, but now we can do things better and differently.含羞草研究社�

Annis asked council to include an 含羞草研究社渋ndependent accountant含羞草研究社� on the team 含羞草研究社渢o provide financial oversight.含羞草研究社� Bose said it would 含羞草研究社渓end credence含羞草研究社� to the process to have an accountant not affiliated with either the RCMP or SPS.

Coun. Rob Stutt asked Annis if she thinks the process is biased. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 not what I含羞草研究社檓 saying,含羞草研究社� she replied. The Surrey Connect majority defeated Annis含羞草研究社檚 motion.

The corporate report notes that the number of Mounties assigned to the Surrey RCMP 含羞草研究社渉as not been reduced and remains含羞草研究社� at 843, with 58 of those assigned to Lower Mainland District Integrated Teams and 含羞草研究社渘ot located含羞草研究社� within the Surrey RCMP detachment.

含羞草研究社淎s such, the Surrey Detachment strength is considered 785 Members, although 51 of these positions are not currently funded,含羞草研究社� the corporate report states. It adds that 含羞草研究社渁s of this date,含羞草研究社� 168 Surrey Police Service officers are 含羞草研究社減roviding policing services to Surrey residents含羞草研究社� under the RCMP含羞草研究社檚 command.

While 含羞草研究社渟ome preliminary discussions含羞草研究社� on legal agreements have been held, 含羞草研究社渟ubstantive details have not been worked out, nor have agreements been drafted,含羞草研究社� the corporate report notes. 含羞草研究社淪uch agreements may require approval of all parties, and likely Cabinet endorsement at both the Federal and Provincial levels. Based on the experience of prior negotiations, it is reasonable to assume the negotiations of these legal agreements will take 6 - 9 months.含羞草研究社�

Meantime, the budget and 含羞草研究社減ractical implications of a holding pattern on deployment and demobilization while these legal agreements are prepared and signed off are significant and will require the City to continue to fund through most of 2023 a complement of non-deployed SPS police officers far in excess of the City含羞草研究社檚 ability to pay,含羞草研究社� it continues.

The priorities, goals and objectives for policing in Surrey in 2023 include development of a staffing plan to provide employment, 含羞草研究社渨here possible,含羞草研究社� to civilian and sworn SPS officers who are integrated into the Surrey RCMP 含羞草研究社渢o allow for continued and enhanced career development opportunities,含羞草研究社� as well as develop and implement an Infrastructure Plan which will see the current information systems and equipment assets purchased on behalf of the SPS, repurposed by other entities within the City of Surrey.含羞草研究社�

The objective for 2023 is to maintain a minimum service level of 734 RCMP officers 含羞草研究社渁s soon as possible to ensure adequate and effective policing in 2023 and beyond含羞草研究社� and to 含羞草研究社渄evelop and implement a plan for SPS to provide Assigned Officers to support含羞草研究社� operation of the Municipal Police Unit含羞草研究社� as the RCMP 含羞草研究社渟taffs up to full funded strength consistent with an agreed staffing plan.含羞草研究社�

And then there are the financial considerations. The city含羞草研究社檚 policing operations budget for 2023 will include funding for the RCMP contract, city police support services and SPS. The financial plan it adopted for 2022 含羞草研究社� 2026 allocates a combined budget of $202.4 million for fiscal year 2023, for policing operations, with proposed budgets to be presented to council 含羞草研究社渓ikely in early in 2023.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭o finalize the budget requirements for 2023,含羞草研究社� the corporate report notes, Surrey requires approval from Farnworth of its intention to stick with the RCMP.

含羞草研究社淭his will allow staff to determine a proposed start date for the implementation of the plan. Collaborative work with the RCMP and the SPS will then take place to determine the cadence of RCMP ramp up and SPS ramp down and confirm corresponding budget allocations required.含羞草研究社�

Surrey 含羞草研究社渆nvisions含羞草研究社� a decision from Farnworth in January 2023 含羞草研究社渁nd a ramp up of RCMP and ramp down of SPS beginning in March 2023.含羞草研究社�

Meanwhile, the Surrey Police Board含羞草研究社檚 next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 30. The agenda for that meeting on that day.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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